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Duquesne Law School Hosts An Afternoon With Justice Clarence Thomas

March 26, 2013

The Duquesne University School of Law will host An Afternoon With Justice Clarence Thomas at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, in the Union Ballroom.

"It's a special honor for Duquesne to host Associate Justice Clarence Thomas," said Law School Dean Ken Gormley. "He receives thousands of invitations to speak at venues across the United States and is able to accept only a handful of these invitations, so we are extremely fortunate that he has agreed to visit Duquesne. Those who attend this program will have a chance to hear directly from one of the most controversial, yet misunderstood and fascinating members of the Supreme Court."

In 1991, Thomas was appointed to the United States Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush to fill the seat previously held by the late Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall. Thomas is only the second African American to serve on the Supreme Court. His landmark cases with the court include Printz v. United States, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris and Hamdi v. Rumsfeld.

A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Yale Law School, Thomas prior posts include serving as an assistant attorney general in Missouri; assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education; chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He authored the book My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir in 2007.

"Perhaps no justice in modern history has attracted so much public scrutiny, yet he remains unknown to many Americans," added Gormley. "Justice Thomas's life story, growing up a descendant of slaves in Pin Point, Georgia, is truly remarkable. Even critics who disagree with his judicial philosophy have acknowledged that he has become one of the intellectual leaders of the Supreme Court."

For more information about An Afternoon With Justice Clarence Thomas, visit www.duq.edu/ law/justicethomas or call 412.396.2462.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic research universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. The University is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review for its rich academic programs in 10 schools of study for nearly 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students, and by the Washington Monthly for service and contributing to students' social mobility. Duquesne is a member of the U.S. President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for its contributions to Pittsburgh and communities around the globe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges acknowledge Duquesne's commitment to sustainability.